NYC promises new scorecards and more efficient routes for dysfunctional school bus system

“Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox. New York City’s sprawling school bus system, notorious for no-show buses and hourslong routes, may soon get a software overhaul that has been in the works for years to make routes more efficient. “We’re pressure testing it to release this September,” Kevin Moran, the deputy chancellor for school operations, told families of children with disabilities at a town hall meeting last month. And beginning in June, the city plans to release “vendor scorecards” that rate bus companies on a slew of metrics, including driver safety and staffing levels. Officials say they are finally following through on promises to modernize the bus system, which includes some 9,000 routes operated by about 52 different companies at a cost of more than $2 billion a year — nearly $13,800 per rider. Any improvements would help some of the city’s most vulnerable students. Of the 145,000 students reliant on yellow bus service, roughly 43% are children with disabilities. When the system falters, students often miss out on instruction and may become chronically absent. Even as some families are cautiously optimistic that the new administration is taking school bus problems seriously, they are also wary after years of promises that have yet to fully materialize. “Do I believe this is moving somewhere different than what we’ve seen before? Yes,” said Christi Angel, president of the parent council for District 75, a network of public schools that serve students with more complex disabilities. On the other hand, she is skeptical changes will happen quickly. They are “a day late, a dollar short,” she said. City officials are also considering a broader overhaul of school bus contracts, many of which have been in place for 46 years, which could help reshape the system. But rebidding the contracts is a complex process that will likely require approval from lawmakers in Albany . Vendor scorecards could bring more accountability The new scorecards will include data on crashes, school bus ages, driver staffing levels, breakdowns, and contract violations, such as drivers not logging onto an app that allows families to track the bus location. They will also have a separate safety score based on GPS data. The scorecards will “actually hold our vendors accountable,” Moran said. But the list provided by the Education Department does not mention one important metric: how often the buses drop students off at school on time. NYCSBUS, a nonprofit school bus operator overseen by the city, publishes on-time performance data on its own website, raising questions about why that information won’t be disclosed for all bus companies. The city already releases some statistics about school bus delays, but they are self-reported by the companies rather than tracked automatically with GPS systems. As a result, official figures may mask the extent of delays, a Gothamist investigation found . On-time performance figures drawn from GPS data are in the works, officials said. They did not indicate when that would be available. Carolyn Daly, a spokesperson for several bus companies, said they welcome the scorecards. “Our contracts require accountability, and accountability is a good thing,” she said. Sara Catalinotto, the executive director of the advocacy group Parents for Improving School Transportation, believes families will appreciate the data, but she wondered what happens next. Would the city shift more routes to companies that perform better or take action against others at the bottom? “What are the consequences?” asked Catalinotto. There are good reasons to wonder how aggressively the Education Department will act based on the scorecards’ information. An audit last year from former Comptroller Brad Lander found the city does not adequately oversee school bus vendors and has failed to collect tens of millions in possible fines when bus drivers did not log into the system that allows families to track their child’s bus. “The Department of Education has not proactively or systematically used the data that’s available to hold school bus vendors accountable,” said Brooklyn City Council member Lincoln Restler, who recently introduced legislation to require the city to release more information about school bus service. “That needs to change.” Education Department spokesperson Onika Richards argued the city has always held its bus vendors accountable, including issuing fines for various violations and issuing “corrective action plans” for companies that don’t measure up. That information, Richards indicated, will be included on the scorecard. After delays, new routing software could finally be coming The city currently uses two pieces of software to devise routes, one of which launched in 1994 and has not been supported by regular tech upgrades in more than a decade, the comptroller’s office found. Now, city officials say they are planning to roll out long-delayed routing software from a company called Via Transportation, which has won about $50 million in contracts with the Education Department in recent years to help modernize the bus system’s technology. Officials said the routes should be shorter and more efficient. The comptroller’s report indicated that it should also be able to adapt in real time to traffic conditions. Still, the city has promised new routing software through Via for years, only to face repeated delays. Officials first said it would be implemented in 2021 and later rescheduled it for September 2025 citing the pandemic and other setbacks. Last year, the city put out a request for proposals for new vendors to provide the same technology but wound up sticking with Via. “Since DOE did not hold Via Transportation accountable for implementing technology it was contracted and paid to do, DOE continues to rely on outdated and inefficient routing technology,” the comptroller found. A spokesperson for the company did not respond to questions.The Education Department did not comment on why the routing software has not yet been implemented. Alex Zimmerman is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org .

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